when is the best time to pollinate?

[Hunting the best strains]

Hello all i was just looking for some advice on when is the best time to pollinate i have some afghani and northern lights

pollen and i want to do a few crosses with some aussie bag seed and cali special also some strawberry kush any advise would be great cheers

[Frazz]

no real definite timeline as strains develop flowers differently, but generally i pollinate early in flower so it leaves the plant about 5-6 wks to make the seeds and have them at a mature viable state when harvested,

estimate harvest date according to the particular strain's heredity then work back 5-6 weeks and pollinate then

for the plant, making seeds is a very intensive complex procedure and takes some time

keep plant well fed and happy

 

this is just a rough idea and is by no means the last word on such procedures

all the best with 'em

[smashed1]

this will save a new thread,

 

ive never done it before but seen it heaps , but i have heaaaaps of diff cuttings an one male ,

 

an put em in my window sill with window open abit ,

 

an fem plants in greenhouse out back 10 , m away , an the pollen would have to go donw between side house an turn about 75 deg an travel 6 m an get through the green mesh,

 

is that dangerouse for me fems or should i just shut window , i had em in front garden but thought bedroom would be safer ??

 

any ideas , the pollen balls havent open yet but not long , an most cuttings only have fist couple lil white hairs is that to early

 

 

i dont want to steal your thread bro just thought it would be better to keep all this shit together

[Hunting the best strains]

no real definite timeline as strains develop flowers differently, but generally i pollinate early in flower so it leaves the plant about 5-6 wks to make the seeds and have them at a mature viable state when harvested,

estimate harvest date according to the particular strain's heredity then work back 5-6 weeks and pollinate then

for the plant, making seeds is a very intensive complex procedure and takes some time

keep plant well fed and happy

 

this is just a rough idea and is by no means the last word on such procedures

all the best with 'em

Thanks heaps Frazz i did not no how long seeds take to develop that sounds like a good process ill give it a go and keep use posted as i go thanks again.

[Frazz]

well you might want to take this into consideration also : after my reply i went and looked up my Cannabis bible namely, 'Marijuana Botany' written by Robert Connell Clarke , this Clarke fella really knows what he talking about so below is a direct quote from his book :

 

The staminate plants die after shedding pollen. After approximately 14 to 35 days the seed is matured and drops from the plant, leaving the dry calyx attached to the stem.

This completes the normally 4 to 6 month life cycle (of Cannabis), which may take as little as 2 months or as long as 10 months. Fresh seeds approach 100% viability, but this decreases with age.

Seeds develop fastest in warm weather and take usually from two to four weeks to mature completely. In cold weather seeds may take up to two months to mature. If seeds get wet in fall rains, they may sprout. Seeds are removed when the calyx begins to dry up and the dark shiny perianth (seed coat) can be seen protruding from the drying calyx. Seeds are labeled and stored in a cool, dark, dry place, This is the method employed by breeders to create seeds of known parentage used to study and improve Cannabis genetics.

 

The hard mature seed is partially surrounded by the calyx and is variously patterned in grey, brown, or black. Elongated and slightly compressed, it measures 2 to 6 millimeters (1/16 to 3/16 inch) in length and 2 to 4 millimeters (1/16 to 1/8 inch) in maximum diameter.

 

Careful closed pollinations of a few selected limbs yield hundreds of seeds of known parentage, which are removed after they are mature and beginning to fall from the calyxes. The remaining floral clusters are sinsemilla or seedless and continue to mature on the plant. As the unfertilized calyxes swell, the glandular trichomes on the surface grow and secrete aromatic THC-laden resins. The mature, pungent, sticky floral clusters are harvested, dried, and sampled. The preceding simplified life cycle of sinsemilla Cannabis exemplifies the production of valuable seeds without compromising the production of seedless floral clusters.

 

(staminate plant is just another name for male plant)

 

[demistify]

well looking at the last post seems you've got to keep a close eye on yr experiment.

 

what I 've found is that the female will put out a few anthers BEFORE buds are noticeable. because there are no buds yet these anthers will appear close to the stem. when a male is nearby these few anthers will be fertilised.

 

when I do this in my garden it is not unusual to see seeds forming before the buds are very far advanced. because the buds are not yet well formed the seeds can be picked out of their calyxes (the calyx will open slightly to let you see the colour of the maturing seed) before the bud grows and the seeds disappear from sight, 'swallowed' by the developing head.

 

as I said all this depends on keeping a close eye on yr plants progress. if your eyesight is on the doddery side like mine ... get a magnifying glass!

 

don't leave the male nearby for too long. if you've definately spotted glisteny white anthers the male will do its thing within twenty four hours. they're randy bastards! or you can make sure of the process with an artist's paintbrush.

Edited February 25, 2011 by demistify

[bigrat]

Hi Hunting, I know you already have the info you need, but if you don't mind I'm gonna crap on a bit.

 

For about the last 10 years I've been seeding one bud on each female I have. I just pick a bud about half way up the plant, one with not to many buds below it is probably better. And then with a tiny bit of pollen on the end of my finger I wipe it over the bud. I found they take about four weeks to mature, but I just leave them until I pull the plant. I probably lose a few seeds, but there's still more in the bud then I need. It would be a good idea to put a bit of tape or something near the seeded bud so you can find it later. I get bored smoking the same shit so this gives me a bit of variety. Also, I use a male that's not related.

 

Bigrat

 

PS: I'm outdoors so it once a year

Edited February 25, 2011 by bigrat

[Paladin]

Hey all. Long time no see.

 

Pollinate as soon as the bud has enough white pistils on it for your liking. Each one of these will potentially make a seed. If you pollenate earlier before all the pistils grow in, you will get a more lightly seeded bud. This has one advantage of stressing the plant less. Last grow I got 150+ seeds from one of my O Haze gals, and that was just pollenating two bud sites. The rest of her stayed sinsemilla. Application via cotton wool bud like you stick in your ear.

 

You don't have to make it difficult by working backwards from harvest, etc. Just polinate early, and you will know when the seeds are ready and viable because they will tell you by dropping off the plant. Nature designed it that way. Spread some white paper or plastic around the bases of your plants and let gravity do it's thing. Or you can take the first couple dropping off as a signal, cut off the bud, and then open the calyxes by hand. Easier to let them drop and then roll the bud around between your fingers to tease out the slowpokes.

 

Another benefit here is that you get to enjoy an earlier harvest of seeds, and get them all sorted and properly stored before you're dealing with the even better harvest. If something really bad happens in between, at least you have something.

 

Edit: props to the other answers in this thread. Good info here. I just reckon this way has some advantages, but whatever works, works.

 

 

I tested the O Haze seeds I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. I just presoaked for 14 hours or so then popped them in pellets. I got 10 for 10

 

What else? Hmm. Bear in mind that you're looking for the best possible dad you can get for them.

Edited February 25, 2011 by Paladin

[smashed1]

thanks!! just thought id put this up,

can you just grab a ball off as just before opening squezz it get that juice on your fingers an go through the femal garden would that work couse would be the best for my situation

Edited February 26, 2011 by smashed1

[demistify]

Smashed ... I don't understand "juice"? the little balls have yellow dust in them which is what you want to donate to the fems.